TODAY'S PERSONAL FINANCE STORIES

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CBS.MarketWatch.com

Recession and the war on terrorism are dampening many high school seniors' desire to stray far from home as they apply to college this year. Admission officials are seeing rising interest among prospective freshman living within a five-hour drive. Tuition increases at public and private schools are making it harder for American families to pay not only for school, but also for all the extras such as travel, that come when attending a campus that's far away. Read all about high school seniors' nesting instincts, along with reports on stock buying opportunities in the beaten-down oil services sector and 12 common scams targeting taxpayers, in today's Personal Finance section.

Class of 2006 staying closer to home

San Francisco: This year's high school seniors are holding tighter to the ties that bind as recession and war are leading more to apply to colleges closer to home. See full story.

Congress introduces new 401(k) bill

Washington: In what is becoming a parade of competing retirement security proposals, two Congressmen introduced a bill with new protections for 401(k) plans Monday as the fallout from Enron's implosion continued. See full story.

Opportunities in the oil patch

Washington: Stung by a drop in energy prices, volatile oil equipment and services stocks have taken a beating over the past year. See full story.

Beware these dozen tax scams

North Palm Beach, Fla.: When it comes to tax-saving promises, the Internal Revenue Service says taxpayers would be wise to remember the recurring warning from television's X-Files: Trust no one. See full story.

Healthy and denied life insurance?

West Hartford, Conn.: You are in good health and you see your doctor regularly, so what should you do now that your life insurance application was turned down based on the results of the medical exam?

Investor group wants auditor reforms

Washington: A group of large investors representing more than $2 trillion in assets urged the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday to overhaul the U.S. auditing and corporate governance systems to head off "another Enron." See full story.

Armada sails for growth and value

New York: Traditionally an investor in the biggest firms, Armada Equity Growth Fund manager Crit Thomas admits that these days, he's looking a bit lower on the scale to uncover growth at a reasonable value. See full story.

Marshall Loeb's Daily Money Tip

New York: Don't try to "time" the market. People who attempt to guess exactly when Wall Street will make a major swing, up or down, are usually wrong. See full story.

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